I did attempt to make pineapple cake madeleines before, and while I was relatively happy with the batter portion, I felt like the pineapple was not where I wanted it to be. While whole chunks of pineapple reinforce the flavor of the fruit in the end product, it was not quite enough like the jammy Taiwanese pineapple cake filling for me. So I decided to make a couple of revisions, just to make these madeleines more in line with ones that I wanted. I still used the golden syrup in the batter, since I loved how the flavor of the madeleines were quite similar to the pastry in a pineapple cake. However, instead of using chunks of caramelized pineapple, I went with a different route. I used pineapple juice, and made essentially a Turkish delight, but using pineapple juice and no rose water. Turkish delight is basically a jelly made with cornstarch, which helps it keeps its form during baking. The end result? A product a LOT more similar to what I had intended. The madeleines were still springy and soft, but the pineapple filling was more jammy and condensed, while also much more greatly resembling the filling of a pineapple cake!

I would even go as far as that these are 100% what the first version should have been. The batter itself uses the golden syrup and brown butter just to give it a super buttery, aromatic flavor. The pineapple delights as we will call them, were made by thickening pineapple juice with cornstarch and golden syrup first, then adding in gelatin after cooking the mixture down for a bit – fresh pineapple juice has an enzyme that breaks down gelatin, but cooking the juice down denatures the enzyme, and lets the gelatin do its thing! I do recommend letting the batter sit, as it helps the final product achieve that little “hump” that you would see in your typical madeleine! That’s because the glutens are more relaxed and flexible, allowing them to expand more in the oven when being heated up at higher temperatures!

Makes 24 madeleines:
3 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
3/4 cups all-purpose flour, with more for baking
3/4 tsps baking powder
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and browned, with more for baking

In a bowl, whip together the eggs, sugar, golden syrup, vanilla, and salt until combined. Sift into that mixture the flour and baking powder first, then whisk together with the egg mixture until just combined. Then fold in the butter, while still warm, to form the batter. Refrigerate the batter for at least 1 hour – this will guarantee a fluffier madeleine.

After refrigerating, take the madeleine batter out of the refrigerator and stir with a rubber spatula just to soften it. Transfer the madeleines to a piping bag. Line a madeleine pan with melted butter and flour. Pipe the madeleine batter into the tins, filling each one up about 1/2 the way full. Press into each the pineapple cubes. Bake at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes, then lower the oven to 350 degrees F, and allow the madeleines to bake for another 5 minutes. Allow the madeleines to cool down before attempting to unmold.

For the golden syrup
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water, in two parts
2 tsp lemon juice
a pinch of salt

In a pot on medium-high heat, cook together the sugar and 1 one part of the water until they begin to just turn brown. Take the pot off heat and add in the other ingredients, and stir until just combined.

For the pineapple delights:
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp gelatin powder + 1 tbsp water
3 tbsp cornstarch
¼ cup water
a pinch of salt

In a pot, whisk everything together on medium heat for about 10 minutes – the mixture should be translucent with no white flecks of cornstarch. Pour into a lined shallow container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Then cut the mixture into ¼-inch cubes.